1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to projectiles. More particularly, this relates to high speed ballistic projectiles. By way of further characterization, this invention relates to the class of projectiles known as tubular projectiles. By way of further characterization, this invention pertains to a high speed tubular projectile which may be fired without the use of a sabot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ballistic projectiles comprise a very old segment of the armament arts and the study of such weapons has involved a long history of analysis and experimentation. The study of the ballistic flight of the projectile, known as exterior ballistics, shows that a major limiting factor of the projectiles efficiency in transferring the energy of flight is that of ballistic drag. The major cause of ballistic drag is the base drag or turbulence following the projectile in flight. One promising form of projectile which diminishes this ballistic drag is the tubular projectile. In this class of projectile a longitudinal bore extending through the projectile permits the gas of the atmosphere to pass therethrough and diminish the turbulence of the base of the projectile. Additionally, it has been shown that the tubular projectile has certain advantages in target penetration.
In order to prevent the propellant which provides the mode of power for the projectile from passing through the central aperture, tubular projectiles, in the past, have incorporated and encasing sabot to contain this pressure until the projectile has cleared the muzzle of the launching mechanism. The sabot then falls away and the projectile proceeds on its intended ballistic path. Although satisfactory for some purposes, the sabot launched projectile suffers from certain disadvantages. The loss of the sabot and its mass diminishes the kinetic energy that the projectile delivers to the target and the sabot impacts areas other than the target. Further, the separation of the sabot and projectile is not uniform and therefore adversely affects the ballistic path. Additionally, the sabot-fired tubular projectile has difficulties in firing from an aerial platform in that the sabot may be ingested by the engine of the launching airframe. Because of these, and other, considerations, the sabot launched tubular projectile has failed to gain satisfactory exploitation.